Electrical connection device



April 28, 1925.;

H. B. JONES ELECTRICAL CONNECTION DEVICE Filed 1mg. 28, 1922 PatentedApr. 28, 1925.

HOWARD B. JONES, F EVANSTON, ILLINOIS.

ELECTRICAL CONNECTION DEVICE.

Application filed August 28, 1922. Serial No. 584,901.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HOWARD B. Jones, a citizen of' the United States,residing in Evanston, Cook County, Illinois, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Electrical Connection Devices, of which thefollowing is a specification.

These improvements relate to electrical connection devices of theplug-and-socket type according to which the desired contacts are madeand broken by ush and pull movements of the operator. uch devicesbroadly are well known and thepresent advance is largely in features ofconstruction and arrangement of parts. F rom the construction hereinillustrated as a preferred embodiment of the improvements such objectsand advantages are had as a notably low cost, simplicity of parts, easein assemblage, permanency and security of connections, and the importantfact that a materially large number of contact elementsmay-be assembledin relatively small space for simultaneous use.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a sectional view as on the broken line 11 ofF ig. 2 Fig. 2 is an end view as on the line 22 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is atransverse sectional view as on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is aperspective of what 1 term a pin-holding member which is shown partly insection in Fig. 1;

' Fig. 5 is aside View of a well-known form of eyelet used by me in thedevice as a socket element; and Fig. 6 is a view partly in medialvertical section showing an auxiliary mounting useful in certain kindsofwork.

1 The device comprises two principal partsa socket member and a plugmember. The socket member is shown as a circular disc 10 of insulatingmaterial held upon the board, instrument panel or other structure 11 bythe screw 12, the screw terminating short of the inner surface of-thedisc 10 whereby the insulation there is maintained. The disc 10 is boredwith a plurality of parallel holes 13 .arranged substantially in acircle, as well shown in Fig. 2, the holes being enlarged at the endsrespectively and each being adapted to receive one of the eyelets14shown in Fig. 5. These eyelets respectively have a body part 15 and anintegral stem 16, and in my use of them the stem is bent in line withthe bod part and formed at the end 'Wlth the hoo 17. They are made ofbrass and canbe purchased at small cost in the open market. After beingpositioned in the holes 13 respectively their end portions are swagedopen adjacent to the panel or other structure 11, the open endencompassing the disc l0'with a snug fit for ready application to andwithdrawal therefrom. The outer end of the housing may be rounded forappearance as shown and is provided with an aperture 23 for conduitwires 24. A supporting member 25 in the form of a disc of insulatingmaterial is positioned so as substantially to come against the socketmember 10 when the parts are operatively assembled as in Fig. 1. Screws26. hold the supportin member 25 rigidly yet in readily removablerelation to the housing. This supporting member 25 is bored or otherwiseformed with a plurality I of holes 27 directed toward the open end ofthe housing, substantially parallel with each other and circularlyarranged, these holes 27 being so positioned as to be directly oppositethe socket elements 14 respectively. A plurality of contact stems orplug elements 28, each having a head 29, extend through these holes 27with the heads 29 on the side of the supporting member 25 which isfarthest for ready removability are shown as a lock ing member 30, Fig.4, which is rigidly held for ready removability by the screw 31, Fig. 1,to the pin-holding member 25. This member 30'has a plurality of recesses33 adapted to receive the heads of the cotter pins respectively andprevent their turning. The member 30 has also an enlarged part at 34which overhangs the heads of the pins and holds the pins againstlongitudinal movement out of the holes 27. Recesses 35 between the linesextended of the recesses 33 are also formed in the holding member 30,

and these recesses 35 are adapted to receive the conduit wires 24. Theholding member 30 has a reduced or neck portion at 36 resulting in ahead 37 at the end of the member 30. When the wires 24 are connected tothe heads as 29 of the plug elements a winding of cord 38 binds thewires tightly in the neck portion 36 whereby pulls upon the wiresintended to separate the contact elements will be communicated to thestronglysecured parts and not to the soldered connections between thesewires 24 and the heads as 29 respectively.

From Fig. 2 it will be noted that the socket member 10 is provided witha projection 40 on its periphery and that the housing 22 has aninterfitting recess 41, this provision insuring that the plug member maynever be so applied to the socket member as to make a wrong connection.

In Fig. 6 the structure 42 may be considered a wall, a base board, aswitchboard or a panel of an electrical instrument. The departure inthis figure from what has already been described is in the provision ofthe auxiliary support 43, which is shown as a cup-shaped element readilysecured by screws 44 to the structure 42. A space 45 is thus providedfor the ends of the wires 20 and the ends of the connection strips orterminals 16. The member 43 may be of hard rubber or other insulatingmate rial. The screw 12 secures the parts 10 and 43 .readily separablytogether. This construction is highly advantageous where it is feasibleor desirable to bore only one hole as 47 in the structure as 42. i

In view of this description some more specific advantages and objects ofthese improvements may be pointed out. The present form illustrated isdesigned more particularly for use in radio telephone receiving setpanel construction, and provides for seven contacts which may be made orbroken simultaneously by a single simple movement of the hand. Thelikelihood of getting the connections mixed is entirely overcome andmeans are thus afforded for easily and quickly doing what is ordinarilya tedious operation. Furthermore, the person setting up such aninstrument is ordinarily not equipped for boring relatively large holesin the'panel, such as ordinarily are required, and according to theseimprovements he may bore only relatively small holes such as seven holes48, Fig. 1 and for the screw 12. An important feature of theconstruction is its relatively small size. Ac-

cording to my practice the outside diameter of the housing 22 is onlyone and one-quarter inches. This makes for an unusually neat appearanceof the switchboard or panel and saves much space thereon. Numerousadvantages arise in installation of the device. The terminal members 16and their hooks 17 are substantially widely spaced apart and can be bentdown flat against the panel, and thus sufficient space is providedbetween them for soldering operationsfor connecting the wires to themrespectively. The socket member 10 occupies but little space on theboard and presents a neat appearance when the plug member isdisconnected from it. The housing of the plug member protects the endsof the pins 28 so that contact by the pins with some other object toproduce a short circuit is not likely to occur. Importantly', thesoldering of the wires 24 to the headsof the pins may be done before theparts are assembled, the connections cleaned of all substances likely toproduce corrosion, and the heads may then be brought very close togetherand yet be held apart by the locking member 30. Repairs may readily'bemade through disconnecting the several parts.

Reference should be had to the appended claims to determine the scope ofthe improvements herein set forth.

I claim:

1. In an electrical connection plug of the character described, thecombination of a disc-like supporting member of insulating materialhaving apertures therethrough substantially parallel with the axisthereof for accommodating contact stems, a headed contact stem in theform of a cotter pin loosely positioned in each of said apertures withthe heads of said stems on the inner side of the supporting member, ahousing of insulating material including a tubular part having an openend adapted to receive a socket member encompassing said supportingmember and stems with the supporting member intermediate the ends of thehousing and held readily removably therein, said stems terminating shortof but close to the open end of the housing while extending materiallybeyond the outer surface of the supporting member, means for holdingsaid stems against inward movement, and means carried by the supportingmember for binding wires thereagainst, the end of the housing oppositesaid open end having an aperture for wires.

2. In an electrical connection plug of the character described, thecombination of an open-ended housing, a supporting member readilyremovably carried within said housing and having a plurality ofsubstantially parallel apertures therein for contact stems, the open-endportion of said housing extending materially beyond said supportingmember to form a pocket adapted to receive a cooperating socket member,a plurality of contact stems, one thereofbeing in each of saidapertures, said contact stems extending close to the plane of theopenend of said housing member, means for holding said contact stems readilyremovably in said tures respectivel nally ofthe housing, a plurality ofheaded" pins directed toward the open end of the ousing andextending-through said apertures, there being one pin in each aperture,the heads of the pins being on the inner slde of said su porting member,a member readily remova ly mounted on said supportingmember for holdingsaid pinsreadily removably in said apertures respectively, tlIe housinghaving ,an a erture for conduit wires adjacent to said pln-holdingmember, and means for holdin such wires firmly .to said pin-holdingmember to communicate pulling strains thereon to said housing-andassociated parts, said housing having an open end formed to receive asocket member adapted to interfit slidingly with said housing at theopen end thereof.

4. In an electrical connection plug of thecharacter described, thecombination of an,

open-ended housing, a supporting member rigidly positioned within andintermediate the ends ofthe housing, said member having a plurality ofsubstantially parallel. apertures directed longitudinally of thehousing, a plurality of headed contact stems extendingreadily removablythrough said apertures, there being one stem in eachof sa1d apertures,said 'stems. extending toward the open end of the housing with the headsof the stems-on the side oflthe supporting member which is farthest fromthe open end of the housing, and means carried by said su porting memberfor holding said stems readily removably in said aper- 5. In anelectrical connection plug of the character described, the combinationofan open-ended housing, a supporting member rigidly positioned withinand intermediate the ends of the housing, said member having .aplurality of. substantially parallel apertures directed longitudinallyof the hous ng,

a headed contact stem in and extending through each of said apertures,-aclamping member for contacting the heads of. said stems to hold thestems in said apertures respectively, said clamping member. being formedwith a portion against which conduit wires leading-to said headsrespectively may be tightly bound. v 6. In an electrical connection plugof the character described, the combination of a substantiallycylindrical open-ended hous mg, a supporting member readily removablyposit1oned rigidly within and intermediate the ends of the housing. saidmember having a plurality of substantially parallel aperand directedlongitudinally of the housing, a plurality of headed contact stemsentending through said apertures, one stem being In each aperture, withthe heads of the stems on the inner sidev of the supporting member, asubstantially-centrallyarranged clamping member carried rigidly andreadily removably by said supporting member on-the inner side thereof,said clamping member being adapted to engage the heads of the stems tohold them in osition for use, said clamping member also being formed tohave conduit wires secured thereto.

7, In an electrical connection device of the character described, thecombination of an open-ended substantially cylindrical housing, asupporting member readily removably and rigidly carried within andintermediate the ends of the housing, a plurality of cotter-pinsextending through sa1d apertures, one pin being in each aperture, thepins being directed toward the open end of the housing'and beingsubstantially parallel with each other, and means on the inner surfaceof said supporting member for enga ing the heads of thepin's and holdingthem 'a'gainst retraction in sa1d apertures.

HOWARD B. JONES.

' tures substantially in circular arrangement

